Belt-shifting mechanism.



E. A. BALSLEY.

BELT SHIPPING MBCHANlsM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.11, 1913.

Patented M1119, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

www?

E. A. BALSLBY.

BELT SHIFTING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.11.1913.

lJLl., Patented Mam, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2A www EUGENE A. BALSLEY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BELT-SHIFTING MECHANISM.

'Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nar. o, mit.

Application filed. September 11,1913. Serial 1105789252.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EUGENE A.. BALsLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of llllinois, have invented a new and useful Belt-Shifting Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of devices used in shifting the endless belts used in driving machine tools or other power driven mechanisms, and more particularly relates to a novel construction and arrangement of belt Shifters Iand operating mechanism therefor whereby each of a plurality of belt Shifters `is actuated from a conveniently lo cated common position or place.

@ne object of my inventionis to provide a belt shifting mechanism having improved means whereby an endless belt is readily shifted or moved from one to another of the series of steps of a cone pulley.

lAnother object of the invention is to provide a belt shifting mechanism having novel means whereby an endless driving belt is quickly shifted or caused to move from a fast to a loose pulley, and vice versa.

A further object of this invention is to l provide a belt shifting'mechanism having novel means whereby the levers or operating handles by which the belt Shifters are actuated are located adjacent to each other in a convenient position relative to the floor of the shop or other place in which the belt shifting mechanism is erected.

Still further objects of the invention will become apparent as the invention is more fully described hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is an elevation showing a belt shifting mechanism constructed ant"L arranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same at right angles to the elevation of Fig. 1. `Fig. 3 is a partial plan showing the construction and arrangement of the belt shifter for the countershaft driving belt of the overhead countershaft illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan showing a detail of the loop forming part of the belt shifter for the cone pulley on the overhead countershaft of Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan showing a detail of the con struction of the belt shifter for the' lower cone pulley on the lathe or other belt driven mechanism. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation showing in detail the construction of the operating mechanism by which the seriesof belt shifters are actuated from a position common to all of said Shifters.'

ln the accompanying drawings 4the numeral 2 designates a lathe or other machine tool which is erected in place on a suitable foundation 3 at the floor level ofl a. shop. lhe tool 2 has a spindle or shaft 4 on which 1s a driven cone pulley 5, and connected to the cone pulley 5 by an endless belt 6 isan overhead cone pulley 7 secured, on the coun` tershaft 8 which is mounted in suitable hangers 9, 9, which are conveniently secured to the ceiling of the building in which the machine tool is located. Also mounted on the countershaft 8 is a fast pulley 10 anda loose pulley 11, and operatively connecting these pulleys 10 and 11 with a motor, a jack shaft or other prime mover (not show/11,) is an endless belt 12. j

llrected `so as to extend vertically 'in a convenient location adjacent to the lathe or shaftl which is mounted so as to be rotatable in suitable top and bottom bearings 14 and 15. -Telescoping over the shaft 13 so as to rotate thereon is a second shaft 16, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, and fastened to the Aupper end of the vshaft 16, which is'hollowfis a stirrup or yoke 17 arranged to embrace and engage with the side edges of the driving belt 6 for the 'countershaftS at a point 'close to the cone pulley 7 mounted on the countershaft 8. A horizontally extending handle 18 is provided at the lower end of the shaft 16 by which the shaft 16 is rocked or swung to move the, yoke 17 in throwing or shifting the belt 6 from one to another of the steps of the cone pulley 7 in changing the speed at which the spindle 4 of the tool 2 is operated. Positioned below the lever or handle 18 for the hollow shaft 17 is a second lever or handle 19 which is fastened to the hollow shaft 13 to rock this shaft, and secured adjacent to the upper end of the shaft 13 is a lever arm 20 which-is connected by a link 21 to the belt shifter 2.2 by which the countershaft driving belt 12 1s shifted from the loose pulley 11 -to thefast pulley 10 and from the pulley 10 -to the pulley 11. Pivotally mounted on the shaftv 13 adjacent to the levers or handles 18 and 19 is a third lever or handle 23 which `1s provided with a bent portion 24 forming a yoke or fork which embraces the belt (ifa-cljacent to the cone pulley 5 on the spindle 4 other machine tool 2 is a verticai post or cone pulley 5 of the tool 2, the so-formed belt shifter 'being employed in throwing cr shifting the belt 6 from one to another of the steps of the in changing the speed at which the shaft-or spindle l is driven.

By reference to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that the three operating levers or handles 18, 19 and Q3 are all located adjacent to each other and are positioned at a suitable height above the level ofthe floor 3 to be readily grasped and actuated manually. It will also be noted that the vertical shafts to which the handles are connected are located in a convenient position relative to the machine tool 2 so as to be easily manipulated by the operator therefor.

In the operation of my improved apparatus' the parts preferably are assembled as shown. When it is desircdvto start the toolfwith the belt 6 on the small step of the cone pulley i and the large step of pulley -5, the handle 1D is pulled or swung by the operator so as to shift the belt shifter 22 from the position shownin Figs. 1 and 3. Upon holding the shifter in moved position for a short time the belt 12 is caused to move over upon the fast pulley l0 from the loose pulley 11. When it is desired to change the speed of the spindle l of the tool 2 the operator swings the handle 23 to move the yoke 24 and this movement causes the belt 6 to shift from the large step to the intermediate step of the pulley, or to the small step of the cone pulley 5, as is desired and-'is determined by the dis tance the yoke 24e is swung by the operator. The handle/18 is then swung to move the yoke 17 which will engage with the side l edge of the belt 6 and cause the belt to climb from the small step of the cone pulley 7 to the intermediate step or, when the yoke 17 is swung far enough, climb to the large step of 'the pulley 7. In moving the belt 12 from the fast pulley 10 to the loose pulley 11 and in shifting the belt 6 from a positionv in which it engages with the small stepof the pulley 5 and the large step of the pulley 7 to one of the other two positions on the cone pulleys, the operations just before described are reversed, the belt 6 being thrown from the large step to the desired smaller step on one cone pulley preparatory to throwing the belt from 'a small to a larger step on the other of the coacting cone pulleys.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The apparatus is simple and is easily kept in repair. By its use the operations of changing the belts in a` lathe driving mechanism are facilitated and are performed mechanically, so that liability of injury to the operators in throwing belts by hand, as usually done in shifting the belts, is avoided and overcome.

Modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from my invention as deined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a belt shifting mechanism the combinati on with av belt driving mechanism comprising a driven cone pulley, a countershaft, a drivingT cone pulley thereon, a belt connecting said cone pulleys, fast and loose pulleys on thecouutershaft, and a driving belt for the'fast and loose pulleys, of a belt shifter for throwing the belt on the driving cone pulley, a shifter for throwing the belton the driven cone pulleyI a` shifter for throwing the -belt on the fast and loose pulleys, independently movable shifter oper ating hand levers connected one to each of the belt Shifters, and a vertical support on which said hand levers are pivotally mounted. said vertical support forming the means operatively connecting one hand lever and shifter.

2. In a belt shifting mechanism the combination with a belt driving mechanism comprising a driven cone pulley, a counter shaft, a driving cone pulley, a belt connecting said cone pulleys, fast and loose pulleys on the countershaft, and a. driving belt for the fast and loose pulleys, of a belt shifter for throwing the belt on the .driving cone pulley, a shifter for throwing the belt on the driven cone pulley, a shifter for throwing the belt on the fast and loose pulleys, a vertical post operatively connected to the shifter for the belt on the fast and loose pulleys, a rotary post telescoping over the first post and operatively connected to the shifter for moving the belt on the driving cone pulley, horizontally extending levers for' independently rotating said. posts to actuate said Shifters, and a lever pivoted on tbe vertical post having a shifter connected to and throwing the belt on the driven cone pulley.

3. A belt shifter comprising a driven pulley and a driving pulley, belts thereon,

a shifter for each belt, a rotating post for EUGENE A. BALSLEY.

W'itnesses:

H. H. ZinsrNG, VE. C. MALTBY.

Copies of this patent mayibe obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ot Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

